1. Field
The following description relates to power saving in a mobile communication system, and more particularly, to reduction in power consumption based on an energy efficiency of a base station in a mobile communication system.
2. Description of Related Art
In a wireless communication system, a traffic load may change at regular time intervals, for example, every 24 hours or every 1 week. During a time slot in which a wireless communication system is frequently used, for example, during business hours, a relatively large amount of communication traffic may occur due to an increase in a number of users. Conversely, at night time, a relatively small amount of traffic may occur.
Typically, in a wireless communication system, a capacity of a base station may be set so that traffic during a time slot in which a largest amount of traffic occurs may be easily processed and, accordingly, a user may be provided with a seamless service during the time slot.
Additionally, in a conventional wireless communication system, a base station may perform basic operations to provide a normal service even during a time slot in which a relatively small amount of traffic occurs. The basic operations may include, for example, transmission of system information, transmission of a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal, transmission of a reference signal, and other types of signals.
When the basic operations are performed, a considerable amount of power may be consumed in the base station. For example, when a base station is assumed to consume 100% of base power to process maximum traffic, about 52% of power in comparison with the base power may continue to be consumed to perform the basic operations in the base station.
The base station may inevitably continue to consume power by simply performing above basic operations, despite traffic not existing within a cell coverage of the base station. In particular, in a wireless communication system including layer cells, a plurality of lower base stations may be used and, accordingly, an amount of power to be consumed in base stations within a corresponding cell may further increase.